Tape dispenser



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Nov. 26, 1957 e. w. EMMERT TAPE DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1954 INVENTOR.

G901 lfllimmeri, L WWW 4 United States Patent '0 TAPE DISPENSER George W. Emmert, Winnetka, 11]., assignor, lby mesne assignments, to Federal Tool Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 9, 1954, Serial No. 448,415

8 Claims. (Cl. 206-52) This invention pertains to the art of tape dispensers, and more particularly to an improved dispenser especially suitable for dispensing and severing pressure sensitive adhesive tape such as, for example, surgical and other pressure sensitive tapes of the kind packaged in roll form.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, but highly eflicient, tape dispenser having an annular or other irregularly shaped casing, with a base member on the exterior of the casing for supporting the casing in an upright position, the base member being movable and cooperating with the exterior of the casing, when the dispenser is held in the hand in inverted position, to sever a length of tape withdrawn from a roll of tape contained within the casing. A further object of the invention is to provide a tape dispenser of the character just stated wherein the casing is annular in construction and is adapted removably to receive and rotatably contain an ordinary flanged spool of tape, the spool being of the kind upon which surgical tape and the like is now commonly sold, the flanges of the spool in conjunction with the casing serving completely to enclose the supply of tape tokeep it clean, and the base member on the exterior of the casing serving to support the casing in an upright position and to sever the tape when it is withdrawn from the spool. Still another object of the invention is to provide in the aforesaid dispenser improved means for rotatably retaining the spool within the casing, the retaining means, in part, cooperating with improved means for initially leading or feeding the free end of the tape outwardly of the roll and easing when the dispenser is first used for dispensing and severing a length of the tape. Yet another important object of the invention is to provide in a tape dispenser improved means for holding a length of tape while it is being severed and for thereafter retaining the end of the tape that remains attached to the roll, in an elevated position readily accessible to be grasped in the fingers for pulling further tape out of the dispenser.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of dispenser embodying the invention, the dispenser being shown supported by a base member thereon in an upright position on a horizontal surface;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the dispenser in inverted position, with respect to the position shown in Fig. 1, and with the supporting base member thereon in open position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the dispenser on an enlarged scale taken from a position looking downwardly on Fig. 2, with the base member in open position;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3, showing progressively the manner in which a resilient length on the outer end of a roll of tape in the dispenser is advanced toward and outwardly through an opening in the wall of the dispenser when the roll of tape is turned preparatory to initial Withdrawal of tape from the dispenser;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing the path along which the tape is drawn across the exterior of the dispenser prior to cutting of the tape, the base member for supporting the dispenser again being shown in open position;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the base member pivoted toward its closed or supporting position and a tape cutting blade thereon about to sever the tape;

Fig. 9 is a similar view to Figs. 7 and 8, but showing the base member in its closed or supporting position with the blade thereon having completely severed the tape; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 1010 in Fig. 7.

The tape dispenser shown in the drawings comprises an annular casing 60 containing a spool 61 having a hollow cylindrical hub 62 and radially extending flanges 63, the outer periphery of each of which flanges has a rolled bead 64 thereon that rides on the interior surface of the casing during rotation of the spool therein. A roll of pressure sensitive tape 65 is wound on the hub 62 and the casing 60 has an opening 66 in the wall thereof through which the tape may be Withdrawn. On one side of the opening on the exterior surface of the casing there is formed an outwardly extending portion 67 having formed on its opposite ends short bosses 68 that have rotatably mounted thereon a base member 69 which, in closed position, supports the dispenser in an upright position as illustrated in Fig. l. The outer end 65a of the roll of tape 65 has adhesively secured thereto a resilient lead-out strip of paper or the like 70 that tends to uncoil and to press outwardly against the inner surface of the casing 60, the outermost end 70a of the strip thereby closely following the inner surface of the casing when the spool 61 and the roll of tape 65 thereon are initially rotated with respect to the casing. The resilient strip 70 may be of any suitable length and may carry printed information readable through the wall of the casing 60 when the wall is transparent.

The spool 61 is rotatably retained within the casing by a plurality of inwardly extending transverse ribs 71 on the inner surface of the casing. These ribs 71 are longitudinally disposed substantially in alignment of the longitudinal axis of the annular casing 60, and one of the ribs is located on one edge of the inner mouth of the opening 66 where it is contacted by the free end 70a of the resilient strip 70 On the roll of tape 65 when the dispenser is first used and assists in directing the end of the resilient strip into the mouth of the opening 66 and thence outwardly through the opening when the spool 61 is turned, as illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6.

On the exterior of the casing and spaced from the opening 66 there is formed an upstanding block 72 and a plurality of spaced apart fin-like members 73, 74 and 75, with the fin-like member 73 being spaced from the block 72 to provide a slot 76 therebetween. Between the upstanding block 72 and the adjacent edge of the opening 66 there also is formed an upstanding rib 77 located at right angles to the slot 76 and substantially in longitudinal alignment with the center of the opening 66 and the center of the block 72, with the rib being of gradually increasing height so that the rib extends in ramp-like fashion from the edge of the opening 66 to the top of the block 72, the top of the block preferably having its upper surface formed at an angle conforming to the slope of the upper surface of the rib.

When the resilient strip 70 has been fed outwardly through the opening 66 by manual rotation of the spool 61 with respect to the casing 60, the outer extremity 70a of the resilient strip is grasped in the fingers and pulled outwardly, thereby pulling a length of tape outwardly of the casing through the opening 66. This withdrawn length of tape is pulled downwardly across the exterior of the casing so that it adhesively attaches itself in a substantially taut condition along the length of the upstanding ramplike rib 77, across the top of the block 72 and across the tops of the fin-like members 73 to 75. In this condition the tape is bridged across the slot 76 and is severed when the base member 69 is moved from its open position to the closed or casing supporting position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 9. During this closing movement of the base member, a pointed blade 78 formed on the free end thereof first punctures the bridged tape over the slot 76 and then cuts the tape laterally from the puncture toward the outer edges of the tape. When severing has been accomplished as just described, the severed portion of the tape is removed from the fin-like members 73, 74 and 75 and used as desired, the dispenser assembly thereupon being in condition to be supported inits upright position upon the closed base member 69.

It will be noted that closing of the base member 69 during the severing action of the tape thereby causes the base member completely to cover the opening 66 in the casing and the ramp-like rib 77 and the block 72, as well as the length of tape 65:: remaining adhesively adhered to the block, the rib and the adjacent edge of the opening 66, and attached to the roll 65 in the casing. The closure of the base member in this fashion protects the tape and the enclosed portion of the exterior of the casing from dirt, the base member having inturned flanges 79 thereon which conform to and reasonably closely fit the exterior of the casing 60 when the base member is in closed position. It will also be noted that in the form of the dispenser of Figs. 1 to the adherence of the length of tape 65b to the top surfaces of the block 72 and the ramp-like rib 77, and to the edge of the opening 66, holds the end portion 65b of the severed tape in position where it can easily be grasped in the fingers, stripped off of the block and rib, and then pulled outwardly to withdraw further tape when the base member 69 is again moved to open position. In this connection it will be noted, particularly in Figs, 3 and 10, that the upstanding rib 77 has a width substantially less than the tape so that the portion of the tape adhering thereto overhangs the opposite sides of the rib, as best illustrated in Fig. 10. These overhanging portions of the tape are thus retained in an elevated and easily accessible position where they can be readily grasped in the fingers when withdrawal of further tape is desired.

The fin-like upstanding surfaces 73, 74 and 75 on the exterior of the modified form of the dispenser provide considerable area to which the tape bridged across them can adhere. These surfaces, together with the upper surfaces of the block 72 and the rib 77 thus hold the bridged tape tautly across the slot 76 during the severing operation and render the cutting easier. The fin'like upstanding surfaces therefore correspond in function to a continuous raised surface but have the advantage that less material is used in their formation and the molding of relatively thin wall-like fins requires less care in order to avoid warpage of the casing during cooling when the casing is molded of thermoplastic materials such as pol styrene.

The foregoing description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations shouldbe implied therefrom, for it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations and changes may be made in the present dispenser without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A manually portable dispenser for pressure-sensitive tape comprising, an annular casing for enclosing a roll of said tape, a base member pivotally secured upon the wall of said casing and disposed on the exterior thereof for supporting said casing in an upright position, said base member being pivotable outwardly with respect to said casing from a normal supporting position to an open position when said casing is held in the hand in inverted position, said casing having an opening in the wall thereof, an upstanding surface on the exterior of said casing spaced from said opening, an upstanding block on said exterior of said casing located between said upstanding surface and said opening, said block being spaced from said upstanding surface to provide a slot therebetween, an upstanding rib disposed substantially at right angles to said slot and extending from said block substantially to an edge of said opening, said opening and said block and said rib all being covered by said base member when said member is in said supporting position and being exposed when said member is in said open position, means in said casing for rotatably supporting said roll of tape in position wherein a length of tape may be withdrawn under tension from said roll through said opening and thence in a path along the length of said rib and across said block and said slot and then across said upstanding surface, and tape cutting means on said base member moved into cutting contact with said length of tape and received by said slot when said base member is moved into said closed position, said rib and said block providing surfaces to which a portion of said length of tape still attached to said roll will detachably adhere and thereby be maintained in readily accessible position to be grasped by the fingers when said base member is again moved to open position, said base member covering said portion of said length of tape to keep the same clean when said base member is in said supporting position.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said rib is of progressively increasing height and extends in ramp-like fashion from said edge of said opening to the top of said block.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said rib has a width less than said tape whereby at least one lateral edge of said portion of said length of tape detachably adhering to said rib will overhang a side of said rib in position to be easily grasped by the fingers in order to withdraw further tape from said roll when said base member is moved to said open position.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said rib has a width less than said tape and is in substantial alignment with the center portions of said block and said opening whereby both lateral edges of said portion of said length of tape detachably adhering to said rib will overhang the opposite sides of said rib in position to be readily grasped by the fingers in order to withdraw further tape from said roll when said base member is moved to open position.

5. A dispenser for pressure-sensitive tape comprising, a casing for containing a roll of tape, said casing having an opening therein, an upstanding surface on the exterior of said casing spaced from said opening, an upstanding block on said exterior of said casing located between said upstanding surface and said opening, said block being spaced from said upstanding surface to provide a slot therebetween, an upstanding rib on said exterior of said casing disposed substantially at right angles to said slot and extending from said block substantially to an edge of said opening, a cover pivotally mounted on said casing and movable between an open position and a closed position wherein said opening and said rib and said block are covered thereby, means for rotatably supporting said roll of tape in said casing in position wherein a length of said tape may be withdrawn from said roll through said opening and in a path along the length of said rib, across said block and slot, and over said upstanding surface, said tape bridging said slot and adhering to the upper surfaces of said rib and said block and to said upstanding surface when pressed downwardly thereon, and a blade on said cover received by said slot for severing said tape in the area thereof bridging said slot when said cover is moved to said closed position, the adherence of said tape to said rib, block and upstanding surface maintaining said tape in a relatively taut condition over said slot during the closing of said cover to facilitate the severing of said tape, and said rib and said block providing surfaces to which the portion of said tape still attached to said roll will detachably adhere and thereby be maintained in readily accessible position to be grasped by the fingers for the withdrawal of further tape from said roll when said cover is again raised to its open position.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein said rib is of progressively increasing height and extends in ramp-like fashion from said edge of said opening to the top of said block.

7. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein said rib has a width less than said tape whereby at least one lateral edge of said portion of said length of tape detachably adhering to said rib will overhang a side of said rib in position to be easily grasped by the fingers in order to withdraw further tape from said roll when said base member is moved to open position.

8. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said rib has a width less than said tape and is in substantial alignment with the center portions of said block and said opening whereby both lateral edges of said portion of said length of tape detachably adhering to said rib will overhang the opposite sides of said rib in position to be readily grasped by the fingers in order to withdraw further tape from said roll when said base member is moved to open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,246,830 Schultz Nov. 13, 1917 1,588,577 Heifier June 15, 1926 1,829,577 Anderson Oct. 27, 1931 1,864,877 White June 28, 1932 2,031,033 Denebeim Feb. 18, 1936 2,262,874 Wright Nov. 18, 1941 2,515,669 Scholl July 18, 1950 2,600,904 Morgan June 17, 1952 2,646,877 Scholl July 28, 1953 

